Black and blue, or white and gold? 'The dress' turns 10 years old Glamorous Gold Floral Sequin Prom Dress with Criss Cross Back FancyVestido The actual dress was black and blue. The confusion came from how lighting and color perception tricked people's brains, making some see it as white and gold. It became a viral example Ten years ago, a photo of a dress posted on Tumblr sparked a massive debate: was it blue and black or white and gold? Millions argued online, and even celebrities joined in.